Sunday between 10 and 16 July    

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

First Reading - Isaiah 55.10-13

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it fruitful with grain, producing bread to eat, and new seed to sow. In the same way, says the Lord, the word that I speak will not return to me without accomplishing all that I intend, and succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it. And now where once there were thorns and brambles, tall and blossoming trees will grow; and this will be a memorial, an everlasting sign, to honour the name of the Lord. And you will go out with joy, and return in peace; and the trees of the field will clap their hands, and the mountains and the hills will break into song. This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - Romans 8.5-13

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. Those who live according to the flesh have set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the spirit have set their minds on the things of the spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life, and peace. The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, and unable to follow God’s law. But your life now is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, with the spirit of God dwelling within you. For everyone who belongs to Christ has the spirit of Christ within. And though your body is dead, in sin, your spirit is alive in the righteousness of Christ. For the spirit of God, having raised Jesus from the dead, now dwells within you, to give life to your mortal body also. So, my brothers and sisters, we owe nothing to the flesh.

It has no power over us to make us live according to the ways of the flesh which lead to death. Instead, we put to death the ways of the flesh, and live by the spirit. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - Matthew 13.1-8, 18-23

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Jesus sat by the lake, and a great crowd gathered around him. So while the crowd remained on the beach, Jesus got into a boat, and spoke from there, teaching them many things, in parables. Jesus said: ‘A farmer went out to scatter seed in the field. Some seed fell on the path, and the birds came, and ate it up. Some seed fell in shallow soil, on rocky ground; it sprang up quickly, but when the sun came out, it dried up, and withered away, because it had no root. Some seed fell amongst thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it. But some seed fell on good soil, and produced a harvest of thirty or sixty or a hundred times what was planted. In the same way, when someone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not take it to heart, the evil one comes, and snatches it away - like the birds, with the seed that fell on the path. The seed that fell in shallow soil, on rocky ground, is like someone who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy, but has no root, and falls away when trouble or persecution comes. The seed that fell amongst the thorns is like someone who hears the word, but it is choked out by the cares of this world, and its wealth, and there is no harvest. But the seed that falls on good soil is like someone who hears the word, and takes it to heart, and produces a harvest of thirty or sixty or a hundred times what was planted.’ This is the Gospel of the Lord.